Self-leveling berth



(No Modell.)

J. H. 'LASKE-JY.v SELF LBVBLING BBRTH.

Pafaented Nov. 20, 1883.

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J OHN' H. LASKEY, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARCUS M. W'ILCOX, OF NEW' BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-LEVELING BERTH.

SPEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,822, dated November 20, 1883,

Application mea May 1o, lass. (no model.)

'.To all whom I? may conceive:

Beit known that I, JOHN H. LAsKnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Leveling Bert-hs; and I do hereby declare that the saine are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide improved self-leveling berths for vessels without materially shortening the space available for fixed berths in the ordinary state-rooms.

It is the well-known practice on oceansteamers to arrange the berths lengthwise of the vessel-that is, end to endd'separated by the stategroom partitions. To increase the size of the rooms enough to accommodate the ordinary swinging berths would greatly reduce the number' of rooms, while to shorten the berths to any considerable extent would decidedly interfere with the comfort of the passengers; hence it is that sclf-levelin berths have not come into general use on shipboard. By my improvements berths not exceeding iive feet eleven inches in length inside are swung freely in rooms sin feet long.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a state-room and bert-h provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan of the berth and frame, showing the partitions in section. Fig. 3 is a detail of the locking device for securing the berth to its frame and the frame to the wall. Fig. 4, drawn as a scroll on the stateroom wall in Fig. l, illustrates a means of disconnecting the berth from the rock-shaft.

The berth Aa is suspended laterally onpivots B B, which connect it, at or near its center, with the side barsof the frame C c, which swings on end pivots, DD, iixed in the-partitions, as will be clear from Fig. 2. Springs S S, secured at their outer ends to the partition,extend to right and left from a short standard, S', rising from the end of the frame. This device tends to check the relative movement of the vessel and the berth-frame. To econo,- mize space I make the ends c of the frame and the ends c of the berth of sheet metal, heavy enough to give the required strength andstiffness. The side rails, C, of the frame are of bariron, set edgewise for strength, and are thinned and riveted to the ends c. There is a cross-piece, e, beneath the berth, connecting the ends o of the frame. The sides of the berth may be of wood. It' the occupant of the berth maintained a central position therein, no further suspension devices would be necessary; but since this is not the case it is important to provide for changes in the center of gravity in the loaded berth. This I accomplish in the manner illustrated in Fig. l. The head end of each berth is supported by a jointed metal strap, F, or bya wire rope or equivalent connection, depending from the horizontal arm G of a rock-shaft, H, mounted in brackets I, secured to the beams overhead. The rock shaft has also an arm, g, extending upwardly, and to this arm is pivoted one end of a connecting-rod, I', pivoted at the other end to the upper end of a weighted pendulumrod, J, swinging with the fore-andaft motions of the vessel. The pendulum, connecting-rod, and rock-shaft are preferably incased, as denoted in the drawings, so that their vibrations are not visible. The pivot or fulcrum of the pendulum is at j and the weight at NV. Rubber-tired wheels fw project beyond the faces of the weight, to keep it from contact with the wall and give it free and quiet movement. A metal plate may form a suitable tread for these wheels. The end of the berth is pivoted to the lower end of the strap F at a point coinciding with the end pivots of the frame C c, in order that perfect freedom of movement on both these centers may be maintained.

The locking device (best shown in Fig. 3) consists of two parallel bolts, L, each formed with a straight rack atits inner end, meshing with a small cog-wheel, M, placed between them to move both together. The upper bolt has a handle, l, by which both bolts may be moved endwise through their bearings N. When these bolts are retracted, the berth and frame swing freely, and an equilibrium is maintained.

Vhen it is desired to prevent movement of the berth independent of the frame, the bolts are thrown forward sufficiently to penetrate the ends of the side bars, C, and a further IOO movement of the bolts secures the frame to the partitions. This fixed position may be made permanent by any suitable lock. The drawings show aprojecting lug on one side of the` handle l, and this lug is recessed to admit the bolt of a mortise-lock inserted in the edge of the berth and provided with a suitable key.

Vhen the berth is looked and made stationary, it is desirable to disconnect it from the rock-shaft and pendulum. This may be done by removing` the pintle from the joint f of the strap F; but I prefer to employ the device illustrated in Fig. 4.

The strap F, above the hinge, is in two parts, united by a dovetail joint, R, and a slide, T, holds the parts in engagement or permits them to be disengaged.

I claim as my inventionl. The suspension-frame having parallel me- 'tallic side bars, C, connectedat their ends by sheet-metal plates c, pivoted just above their centers, and provided with springs to prevent vundue oscillation of the frame, in combination with a berth pivoted laterally in said frame,

essere I and connected at one or both ends to one arm 25 of a rock-shaft, while the other arm thereof is connected to an incas'ed pendulum and weight, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. A frame for self-leveling berths, consisting of flat metallic side bars, (to which the berth is adapted to be pivoted about at the n1iddle,as showin) and thin metallic end plates of the form shown, said end plates adapted to be pivoted to the ends of the state-room, sub- Stantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a swinging berth and a roek-shaft and pendulum to control said berth, of a connecting-rod (as F) in two parts, coupled together in manner substantially as described, whereby the berth and rock-shaft 4o may be disconnected by unjointing the'connecting-rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. LASKEY.

Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER, E. A. PHnLPs. 

